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Greitens to speak at officer association's prayer breakfast

Associated Press
Published 8:21 p.m. CT April 24, 2018

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Gov. Eric Greitens' tenure in Missouri has been marked by his ongoing scandal regarding his actions in 2015, during the early stages of his campaign. He faces a felony charge in St. Louis on suspicion of taking a photograph of woman with whom he had an affair without her permission while she was partially naked, blindfolded and restrained in the basement of Greitens' home.
Will Schmitt/News-Leader

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens speaks at a news conference about allegations related to his extramarital affair with his hairdresser, in Jefferson City, Mo., Wednesday, April 11, 2018. Greitens initiated a physically aggressive unwanted sexual encounter with his hairdresser and threatened to distribute a partially nude photo of her if she spoke about it, according to testimony from the woman released Wednesday by a House investigatory committee. (J.B. Forbes/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)(Photo: J.B. Forbes, AP)

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) — Despite facing two felony charges and growing pressure to resign, Missouri Republican Gov. Eric Greitens will be the keynote speaker at a St. Louis Area Police Chiefs Association prayer breakfast honoring fallen police officers and their families.

Wentzville Police Chief Kurt Frisz, chairman of the St. Louis Area Police Chiefs Association, confirmed Greitens will speak Wednesday at the Police Officer Memorial Prayer Breakfast, which is closed to the public. He said the governor has been a strong supporter of law enforcement.

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Then-candidate for Missouri Governor Eric Greitens speaks to a crowd attending a rally in favor of statewide Republican candidates held at National Safety Compliance in Springfield, Mo. on Nov. 2, 2016 Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader

Then-candidate for Missouri Governor Eric Greitens speaks to a crowd attending a rally in favor of statewide Republican candidates held at National Safety Compliance in Springfield, Mo. on Nov. 2, 2016 Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader

In this Aug. 2, 2016, photo, Eric Greitens poses with his wife, Sheena and his two sons Jacob and Joshua at a watch party at the Doubletree Hotel in Chesterfield, Mo., after he was declared the winner in the Republican Governor primaries. Greitens has acknowledged being "unfaithful" in his marriage but denies allegations that he blackmailed a woman to stay quiet, following a bombshell news report that overshadowed his annual address to the Legislature on Jan. 10, 2018. (J.B. Forbes/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) J.B. Forbes, AP

FILE - In this May 23, 2017, file photo, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens speaks outside the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. In a press release Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, Greitens rolled out the pillars of his tax plan without much specificity, saying he wants to lower income taxes for most Missourians and eliminate those taxes for some of the lowest earners in the state. He promised more details in the coming weeks. Jeff Roberson, AP

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens greets lawmakers as he enters the House chamber to deliver the annual State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018, in Jefferson City, Mo. Jeff Roberson, AP

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens held a rare press conference at his office in the Capitol on Jan. 20, 2018, in Jefferson City, Mo. Greitens discussed having an extramarital affair in 2015 before taking office. Jeff Roberson, AP

Gov. Eric Greitens, shown during a Jan. 30 visit to Springfield, still has a Confide account, although The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Tuesday that Greitens' office had banned the use of Confide and similar applications in its revised records retention policy, dated Jan. 17. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader

Gov. Eric Greitens takes questions from the media after signing legislation to make Missouri the 28th right-to-work state at the abandoned Amelex warehouse in Springfield on Feb. 6. Nathan Papes/News-Leader

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens cheers on a crowd after several protestors were removed from the building before a ceremonial signing making Missouri a "right-to-work" state at the abandoned Amelex warehouse in Springfield, Mo. on Monday, Feb. 6, 2017. The law, which goes into effect on Aug. 28, prohibits unions from charging membership dues as a condition of employment. Nathan Papes/News-Leader

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens takes questions from the media after signing legislation to make Missouri the 28th "right-to-work" state at the abandoned Amelex warehouse in Springfield, Mo. on Monday, Feb. 6, 2017. Nathan Papes/News-Leader

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens takes questions from the media after signing legislation to make Missouri the 28th "right-to-work" state at the abandoned Amelex warehouse in Springfield, Mo. on Monday, Feb. 6, 2017. Nathan Papes/News-Leader

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens cheers on a crowd after several protestors were removed from the building before a ceremonial signing making Missouri a "right-to-work" state at the abandoned Amelex warehouse in Springfield, Mo. on Monday, Feb. 6, 2017. The law, which goes into effect on Aug. 28, prohibits unions from charging membership dues as a condition of employment. Nathan Papes/News-Leader

"Of course all this stuff's going on," Frisz said. "But, you know, for us, this is about memorializing fallen officers and paying respect to them and their families. And I think the governor's well-suited to do that."

At least one official raised the concern about Greitens' appearance. In an email to area police chiefs, Ed Magee, spokesman for St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch, questioned whether the invitation was a good idea, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

"Chiefs, Are you sure you want a guy currently charged with a felony as your guest speaker?" he wrote. "That will not be good press wise."

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Greitens is charged with invasion of privacy for allegedly taking a compromising photo of a partially nude woman with whom he had an affair in 2015. He is also charged with an unrelated felony for allegedly using a charity donor list for his 2016 political campaign without permission of The Mission Continues, the St. Louis-based veterans charity Greitens founded.

"That's way beyond what we're about," Frisz said. "This is about a memorial breakfast and I mentioned it to someone else before — I said, 'We're still operating in a world of you're innocent until proven guilty.'"